Before I came to Detroit, I have tried very hard to justify the reason why I’m coming here for two months to my family and friends. Social innovation, a city of music, amazing program coordinators… I have so many good reasons to choose this program, but still had no clue how to explain to people when they told me how dangerous Detroit is. After exploring the city with the cohort in the past few days, I feel so glad that I made the choice to come here and now know what to share with those who are curious about why I decided to come to Detroit – passionate and dedicated Detroiters who truly love their city.

My first impression of Detroiters’ commitment to the city came from the QLINE and Mogo. Detroit is famous as a motor city because many car companies are headquartered here, so I didn’t expect to see the revolutionary change in the public transportation sector. The first major transit project and the first bike sharing program, QLINE and Mogo are shaping Detroiters’ new lifestyles and transitioning the city into a green one. The Heidelberg Project is another beautiful surprise although I can barely make any meanings out of those art works. But still, I appreciate how Detroit native artists started this initiative and aspired to use the power of artistic expressions to tell people to embrace their lives.

After joining Detroit Future City (DFC) where I’ll be working this summer, I learned more about the city and how people have dedicated their life to making the city a better place. During the past three days in the office, I have come to know that the city has so many vacant lands and abandoned lots that people don’t know how to deal with them. With the detailed Field Guide DFC created, people have tried to leverage vacant lots in various creative ways. During my time here in Detroit, I’ll be working on the 139 Squared Miles Report, which is a data reference for the city Detroit, to influence the ongoing larger conversation ongoing. I want to join other Detroit social innovators and make tangible impact on this place.

To end my first blog post, I want to quote the words on the wall in front of which we took (many) group photos and shout out to those Detroiters who work really hard for their beloved city Detroit: “It takes heart to fight for something that so many consider a lost cause. A strong mind to breathe life into that cause and prove so many wrong. Keep your heart true and your mind strong Detroit.”